Apparatus for bleaching oleaginous matters.



N0. 68|,274. Patented Aug. 27, |90I. J. C. W. STANLEY.

APPARATUS FOR BITEACHING DLIEAGINOUSXMATTERS.

[Application filed Feb. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet Il @l Patented Aug. 27, |90I.

No; 6s|,2'74.

. J. c. w. STANLEY.

APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING OLEAGINOUS MATTERS.

(Application filed Feb. 26, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

111111111111'II'IIIIIIl/m Qvilnesoea UNITED 'STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

JOHN CHARLES WILL-IAM STANLEY, OF LONDON. ENGLAND.4

APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING OLEAGINOUS MATTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,274, dated August27, 1901. Application filed February 26, 1901. Serial No. 48,986. (Nomodal.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN CHARLES WILLIAM STANLEY, a subject of the Kingof England, residing at London, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for Bleaching Oleaginous Matters, ofwhich the following is a specification.l

This invention relates to apparatus for bleaching oleaginous matter, bywhich term I intend to include all vegetable, fish, and animal oils andgreases, and the apparatus may also be employed to bleach waxes.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which theoleaginous matter or melted wax is continuously circulated in a thinfilm over transparent surf-aces,and thereby subjected to the action oflight until the] bleaching is accomplished.

The invention also contemplates in some cases the subjecting of thefilms of certain oils while flowing over the transparent surfaces to theaction of air under pressure for a purpose to be hereinafter fullydescribed.

The process ofbleaching by my apparatus may be carried on continuouslyday and night, it being intended to use articial light whenevernecessary. A

. The process which this apparatus is designed to carry out forms thesubject-matter of another application' iled by me July 28, 190D,Seriali'No. 25,175.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectionalelevation of anlappa-- ratus constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a detail view of a fan-tail distributes.; Fig-4 isasectionaldeel.

tail, on enlarged scale, showing the means for* discharging wateragainst the outer face of `the transparent surfaces and a modified formb are supported one'or more bleaching-chambers 0, three being shown; butmore or less` may be employed. These chambers yare pref- .erably polygonl in horizontal section and each is formed o a series of vertical posts10, which are grooved longitudinally, as indicated at 11, to receivepanes of glass or other transparent material 12. 'lhe posts will beconnected together at their upper andlower ends by frames 13 and a cover14 will it over the top air tight. The lower ends of the chambers C mayalso be provided withairtight covers or, as shown, the lower frames 13*may rest directly upon the cover blof the tank; but in the latter caseprovisiou'must 'be made to insure fluid-tight joints between such framesand the cover b. j

Above the bleaching-chambers C atank D is supported, and this tank D isconnected to the tank Aby a pipe f, a pump F being interposed in suchpipe for the purpose of pumpthe tank D. Each of the bleaching-chamberswhich extends around the chamber just bevided with a cock 15, and thepipes will be so larranged as to distribute the oleaginous matdistanceinto said chambers and thetank. ,Each pipe h is provided with va valveh', the stem of whichfwill'extend through the side `of the tank in orderthat such valves may be operated from the outside. The intention is to`so control the discharge of oleaginous matter -from thebleaching-chambers that the up-7 pero ends of the pipes h may, duringAthe low the top cover, and a series of pipes g lead from the tank Dthrough the covers 14 to discharge into said troughs. Each pipe gispro-.j

ter to all parts of the pipes or troughs Gr, and` the amount suppliedmay be regtlated by the, j

cocks 15'. A series of fantail/distributers 16 ing the oleaginous matterfrom the tank A to is provided with an interior pipe or' trough G,

ffrom the bleaching-chambers to the tank A,I j II provide each chamberwith y a plurality of 4 'pipes h, which are supported by the cover b inafluid-tight manner and project a-short IOO blieachingoperation, bebelowa body of such oleaginous matter in the lower ends of thebleaching-chambers. Other valved pipes 7a may also be provided, whoseupper, ends will bc {iush with the bottom of the chambers C, so as todischarge all the oleaginous matter intovthe tank A.

Vithin each chamber C a series of arclights L will be supported. Thepower of such lights maybe varied; but in a chamber the sides of whichhave a superficial area of about four hundred square feet threearclights of about fifteen-hundred-candle power each, or a number ofincandescent lights of a total equivalent candle-power, will bleach theoleaginous matter caused to fiow in thin films over the walls of suchchamber in a satisfactory manner in from five to eight hours. The lengthof time will vary according to the nature of the oil or fat beingtreated.

In order to keep the oleaginous matter in a fluid condition for freecirculation, I provide the Atank A with a coil M, through which aheating medium, as steam, may be circulated. The inlet end of the coilwill have a cock m, and its discharge end may lead to a vessel m.Sometimes also when oil is being bleached it may be desirable in orderto cool the oil to circulate cold water through the coil. This coil mayalso be used for the circulation of a refrigerating fluid for thepurpose of separating the stearin and other products. v

Vhen certain oils, such as linseed-oil, are being bleached, it willsometimes be desirable to improve the drying qualitiesof such oils, andin order to accomplish this I provide a pipe N, through which air underpressure may be forced,- and such pipe is provided with branches n',which discharge into the bleachingchambers C. At the top of each chamberis a discharge-pipe O, provided with a weighted valve o, which may beadjusted to maintain the air-pressure Within the chambers at any desireddegree. As the income of air will be continuous there will be prac-'tically a circulation of air under pressure through thebleaching-chambers.

Sometimes the heat from the electric lightsy may heat the vtransparentsurfaces of the chambers to an excessive degree, and itis necessary,therefore, to provide means to cool them. This may be accomplished byproviding pipes P, extending around the upper ends of thebleaching-chambers and supplying such pipes with cold water in anysuitable manner not necessary to illustrate specifically. Such pipeswill be provided with slots or perforations p, through which the waterwill be discharged against the outer sides of the transparent surfacesand flow down them into troughs q, at the lower ends of the chambers.

If desired, the entire apparatus may be inclosed in a glass house,(indicated by R.)

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the tank A may befilled With oleaginous matter and that such matter may be constantlycirculated and caused to flow in thin films over the transparent sidesof the bleaching-chamber until the desired degree of bleaching has beenattained; also, that the operation may be continuous day and night,natural light supplemented by art-ihcial light, if necessary, beingutilized during the day and artificial light during the night. When airis forced into the chambers C, the discharge from such chambers to thetank A will be through pipes h, and when air is not used such dischargemay be through the pipes 7c.

Without limiting myself to the precise details of constructionillustrated and de'- scribed, I claim-#- 1. The combination, in anapparatus for bleaching oleaginous matter, of transparent plates, meansfor-conveying the oleaginous matter to said plates to flow in thin filmsover the plates, and means for directing light through said plates,substantially as described.

2. The combination, in an apparatus for bleaching oleaginous matter, ofmeans for varying the temperature of the matter, trans; parent plates,means for conveying the matter to the plates to iow in thin films overthe plates, and means for directing light through said plates,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in an apparatus for bleaching oleaginous matter, ofverticallyL supported transparent surfaces, means t0 discharge thematter on the upper portions of the transparent surfaces in thin films,-and means for producing artificial light, in close proximity to suchsurfaces, substantially as set forth.-

4. In an apparatus for bleaching oleaginous matter, the combination of aclosed chamber having vertical transparent walls, means for conveyingthe matter to the interior of the' chamber to flow in thin films overthe transparent walls, and means for producing artificial light Withinthe chamber, substantially as set forth.

Ido

5. In an apparatus for bleaching oleaginous l matter, the combination ofa closed chamber having vertical transparent Walls, means for conveyingthe matter to the interior of the chamber to iow in thin films over thetransparent walls, means for producing artificial troducing air underpressure into said cham-f ber, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus for bleaching oleaginous matter, the combination of atank to contain the matter to be bleached, transparent plates supportedabove the tank, means for oonvey- In testimony whereof I have signed mying the matter from the tank and delivering name to this specificationin the presence of it to flow in thin films over the transparent twosubscribing witnesses.

surfaces back to thetank, means to vary the JOHN CHARLES WILLIAMSTANLEY. temperature of the matter within the tank, Witnesses: and means-for directing light through said EDWIN CRUSE,

plates, substantially as set forth. W. CLARENCE- DUVALL.

